One of the more contentious players on the Chiefs, purely from a fan perspective, has been linebacker Nick Bolton. The 2021 2nd-round pick has been somewhat maligned over the years for his on-field weaknesses, mainly in pass coverage, and lack of open-field speed, and now has many fans upset over his newly awarded three-year, $45 million contract given out by GM Brett Veach.
In his four years with Kansas City, Bolton has racked up 458 total tackles (over eight per game), five sacks, and four interceptions.
When you look deeper into the details of Bolton’s contract, it’s really a two-year deal because the Chiefs will likely cut him to save roughly $15 million on the cap in the 2027 season.
There have been a number of big LB contracts given out lately, as the demand for athletic, cerebral, green dot backers has become more important with defensive looks changing into two-safety and offenses electing to assume a more run-heavy approach. Here are the most recent inside linebacker contracts given out:
- Eagles Zack Baun - 3yr/$51M ($17M per)
- Jets Jamien Sherwood - 3yr/$45M ($15M per)
- Vikings Andrew Van-Ginkel - 1yr/$23M (fully guaranteed)
A raise in Minnesota: Vikings reached agreement today on a one-year $23 million extension that includes $22.4 million guaranteed for LB Andrew Van Ginkel, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/CHvbOo9sBN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2025
None of these three players has produced at the level of Bolton over the years. Each of them is either getting paid the same or more, especially in Van Ginkel's case, of the one-year, fully guaranteed deal.
Bolton’s value to the Chiefs' defense is unmatched from both a communication and leadership standpoint. DC Steve Spagnuolo is without a doubt one of the greatest defensive minds to ever coach the game of football, and at this point, a deserving Hall of Famer. Spags is always singing Bolton’s praises, and I’m not going to act like I know more about football than that guy.
Sure Bolton has his shortcomings, but he’s truly one of the best tacklers in the game, is always where he needs to be and has had a huge hand in major defensive stops in Chiefs' playoff games, (see the 4th down play vs. the 49ers in Super Bowl 58, and his best pro game to date vs. the Eagles in Super Bowl 57).
Bolton just turned 25 and will probably play his peak years of his career while in a Chiefs uniform. He should only get better from here and is already a top 6-8 inside linebacker in the league.
